If you think that smokeless tobacco is a healthier alternative to cigarettes, you should know that “snuff dippers” consume (on average) ten times the amount of cancer-causing substances (nitrosamines) that cigarette smokers do. While cigarette smokers are six times more likely than non-smokers to develop oral cancers, users of smokeless tobacco products are 50 times more likely to develop cancers of the cheek, gums, and lining of the lips. Moreover, smokeless tobacco users absorb nicotine at 2-3 times the rate that cigarette smokers do. When you put just these two facts together, you get a lethal combination. The 5- and 10-year survival rates for patients with all stages of oral cavity and pharynx cancers are 56% and 41%, respectively.

Smokeless tobacco is not safer to use than smoking cigarettes. Let us help you. The treatment we provide is warm and personal. At DISTINCTIVE SMILES OF DUBLIN, we can provide you and your family with complete general dental services, from a professional cleaning (preventative) to full mouth reconstruction (repair), periodontal treatments, and cosmetic dentistry. We’re located at 5142 Blazer Parkway, Dublin, where we believe in the importance of regular professional dental health care. Call 614.792.1800 to schedule an appointment. Creating Healthy Beautiful Smiles.

P.S. Babe Ruth, who was one of a large number of baseball players who liked to “dip” smokeless tobacco, died at age 52 of an oropharyngeal tumor, a cancerous tumor in the back part of the throat.

If you are missing one or more teeth and think that you can get along fine without them, keep in mind the old adage “nature abhors a vacuum.” If missing teeth are not replaced with a bridge or implant, the teeth adjacent to the open space(s) will shift out of their normal positions and fill in the empty spaces on their own. Moreover, the corresponding teeth in the opposing jaw will begin to protrude, because there are no biting forces holding them down. As a result of all these unchecked movements, missing teeth can lead to chewing problems and looseness of remaining teeth. Instead, work with the dentist to develop a plan to replace missing teeth before further problems arise.

The management of missing teeth varies on a case-by-case basis. At DISTINCTIVE SMILES OF DUBLIN, we can help you and your family experience dental excellence by trusted, caring professionals. Our approach to dentistry is comprehensive; we concentrate on the whole individual, not just teeth. Our ultimate goal is to ensure continued good health for you and your family. Let us help you make the decision that is right for those special dental needs. We’re located at 5142 Blazer Parkway, Dublin. Please call 614.792.1800 to schedule an appointment. Creating Healthy Beautiful Smiles.

P.S. While a bridge may cost less than a dental implant, implants provide greater value, have a more natural look and feel, and require no preparation of surrounding teeth.